The present disclosure relates to harvesting combines, optionally articulated (jointed), and more particularly to improved access to the forward module for repair and/or maintenance operations.
An articulated combine has a forward powered processing unit (“PPU”) and a towed grain cart joined by an articulation joint assembly. Application Ser. No. 14/946,827 filed Nov. 20, 2015; Ser. No. 14/946,842 filed Nov. 20, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,901,030; Ser. No. 14/967,691 filed Dec. 14, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,442; Ser. No. 15/621,218 filed Jun. 13, 2017; Ser. No. 15/623,619 filed Jun. 15, 2017; Ser. No. 15/642,799 filed Jul. 6, 2017; Ser. No. 15/636,728 filed Jun. 29, 2017; Ser. No. 15/649,684, filed Jul. 14, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,045,488; Ser. No. 15/652,806 filed Jul. 18, 2017; and Ser. No. 15/654,786 filed Jul. 20, 2017, disclose such an articulated combine assembly.
In the design of crop harvesting combines, it is typical to style the machine by making special purpose styling panels for the side of the machine of metal or plastic having a quality paint finish to make an attractive appearance for the machine. Concurrently, it is typical to use these appearance panels also as a shield for the internal moving parts to enhance the safety of the machines. However, the complexity of grain handling and threshing necessitates a complex mechanical structure requiring routine maintenance and servicing. The use of the appearance panels as regulatory safety shielding by definition places the panels in the way for servicing and/or maintaining of the components the panels are covering. Recently, the trend in styling has driven the bottom edges of these panels ever lower on the sides of the combines, in some cases nearly obscuring the entire side of the functional machine.
Given this understanding, one realizes that the shield has to be moved in some fashion in order to allow access for servicing the machine components. This has unanimously resulted in shields being hinged at their tops (thereby “hung”) from or near the top of the outside of the top structure. In order to gain access to the internal mechanical structure of the machine, the lower panel edges need to be moved in an arc away from the side of the machine. Alternatively, the shields can be hinged at their front or rear edges to open outwardly, as would a car door, to allow access to the internal mechanical structure of the machine. While these methods are obvious and for the most part are acceptable, they do have several shortcomings:    1. When hinged at the top, the machine operator or mechanic must exert significant force in an awkward motion to lift the panel to its up position or power must be supplied to substitute for the operator or mechanic. A significant amount of force is required to be exerted by the operator. Gas springs or the like often are used to supplement the lifting force required. Then, too, some type of mechanism must be devised to hold the panel in its up position for a time sufficient for the repair/maintenance to be completed.    2. Once opened, the bottom of the shield is usually either too close to the ground, which invites head bumps or scrapes, or is sufficiently high off as to disallow the machine operator or mechanic easy grabbing of bottom edge in order to pull the panel down for its closing.    3. If the front or rear vertical hinge is chosen instead, practice has proven that the large panel surface when opened outwardly in a significant wind becomes a sail and is significantly buffeted, if not torn off. Closing such a panel against the wind becomes difficult, mildly stated.    4. Regardless of how the panel is opened, the height of the internal mechanical components requiring servicing/maintenance is greater than the reach of the machine operator or mechanic. Even typical platforms do not provide sufficient height to solve this problem. The obvious solution is a ladder; however, there seldom is sufficient space for a ladder to be stored on the machine.    5. Use of a platform or ladder does not end the problems in that there is no backstop to prevent a backward fall by the machine operator or mechanic.    6. In the case of top horizontal hinge, the fixed and rigid location of the hinge is in the close proximity to some of the components requiring maintenance or servicing, even to the extent of preventing such service unless or until the unwieldy panel is detached and removed completely from the machine. The typically large size of typical modern combine side panels nearly always means that a mechanical lift of some sort is needed in order to dismount or remount such panels.
Thus, there is a need for making access to the inside of a harvesting combine easier for the machine operator or mechanic, especially if additional help is not present. It is to these considerations that the present disclosure is addressed.